Conventional wall tracks or uprights for suspending furniture typically are elongate U-shaped rails having a vertical row of spaced-apart slots along the vertical length thereof. These slots cooperate with mounting or support brackets provided on various furniture components such as overhead storage units, shelving and the like. These mounting brackets have a generally conventional construction comprising a main plate-like body which attaches to the furniture component being suspended from the wall track, which bracket further includes a row of hooks which project rearwardly and then downwardly in a conventional L-shaped hook configuration. The hooks are vertically spaced so as to each fit rearwardly within a respective one of the slots and then be shifted downwardly into secure engagement with the slots.
In conventional wall track systems, each wall track or upright for a particular furniture system has a common pattern of slots both in size and vertical spacing so as to conform to the hook configuration on the mounting brackets. Typically, each wall track has a single pattern of slots wherein the slots are configured to accommodate a mounting bracket in the leftward position and another mounting bracket sidewardly adjacent thereto in a rightward position wherein two brackets may be connected to the single wall bracket in side-by-side relation. Hence, when an office furniture or other storage component is provided, such component typically has a mounting bracket provided at each opposite end of the component. For example, the opposite ends of each shelf or each storage cabinet are provided with an end mounting bracket. Further, the furniture components typically have a modular length in a furniture system and in many applications, a series of furniture components are positioned sidewardly next to each other in a row along a wall of a building. Hence, the wall tracks are each mounted in a vertical orientation in horizontally spaced-apart positions along the length of the wall wherein each wall bracket or track is positioned to support one mounting bracket in the rightward position and another mounting bracket in the leftward position so that two furniture components are positioned side by side on the single wall bracket.
Along a single wall configured to mount a series of furniture components, the wall tracks or uprights typically comprise the individual tracks located at the opposite ends of the installation location, namely the end wall tracks, as well as one or more intermediate wall tracks which are disposed in the region located between the end wall tracks. In such a configuration, the intermediate wall tracks each support two mounting brackets and namely two office furniture components thereof. At the opposite ends of the system, each end wall track supports only a single component wall mounting bracket thereon. In such an instance, for example, the end wall track would have the left end of a furniture component mounted on the wall track. However, this leaves one side of the wall track exposed in many applications such that a side edge of the wall track extends outwardly beyond the end edge of the furniture component which is functionally acceptable but is aesthetically undesirable. In this regard, the furniture components may be arranged so as to end in a corner of the wall structure which therefore requires that the end wall track abuts against the adjacent wall with the left side of the wall track being located beyond the edge of the furniture component, which then results in the furniture component being located at an excessive gap or spacing away from the adjacent wall surface. This is visually undesirable in many furniture applications.
It is an object of the invention to overcome disadvantages associated with known wall bracket systems.
The invention therefore relates to an improved wall bracket or wall track system using an improved wall track or upright. This wall track or wall bracket has a tubular construction with two mounting faces preferably formed as opposite first and second side faces of the bracket. On the first mounting face, a first slot pattern is provided with a single row of wide slots located along the center of the wall track that are able to accommodate two mounting brackets of the furniture components in closely adjacent side-by-side relation.
On the second mounting face, the slot pattern is different and namely includes two vertical rows of narrow slots which are located closely adjacent if not at the corner of the wall track. While these two rows define two leftward and rightward mounting locations on the second mounting face, the use of such mounting locations is reversed as compared to the mounting locations on the opposite first mounting face. More specifically, at the left end of run position, the wall track is positioned so that the left side face aligns with the left end of the furniture component being suspended therefrom after which, the mounting bracket on the furniture component is engaged in the leftward slot position. In this manner, the wall track aligns with the left edge of the furniture component so that the wall track and furniture component can be abutted closely, if not directly, in contact with the adjacent wall located in a room corner.
At the opposite rightward end of a series of furniture components, the mounting bracket on the right end of the endmost furniture component would instead engage the rightward mounting slots on the wall track so that this wall track also could be mounted substantially flush or in alignment with the end edge of the furniture component. Hence, the wall track is usable in a first orientation with the first mounting face facing outwardly for use at the end locations of the furniture system.
In the intermediate mounting locations where two side-by-side furniture components are supported, the orientation of the wall track or wall bracket is reversed so that the second mounting face faces outwardly. These slots on the second mounting face thereby accommodate the two mounting brackets in side-by-side relation so that the end edges of adjacent furniture components can be closely adjacent while not abutting against each other when mounted to the wall track at this intermediate position.
Hence, the invention relates to a wall track system using wall tracks or uprights having a reversible construction with a first slot pattern usable at the opposite ends of the furniture system, and a second slot pattern on the opposite mounting face thereof which is usable at the intermediate positions.
This provides significant advantages in providing a single wall track that is usable at both end and intermediate positions and provides a more aesthetically pleasing appearance when furniture components are mounted thereto since the end wall brackets lie flush or in alignment with the end edges of the furniture components.
Other objects and purposes of the invention, and variations thereof, will be apparent upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience and reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the arrangement and designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.